Gay Football Supporters Network

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The Gay Football Supporters Network ("GFSN") is a U.K. non-profit organisation founded in early 1989 by a small group of football fans who happened to be gay. This group went on to campaign for the view that homosexuality did not preclude an active interest in and support for the game.

The Gay Football Supporters Network began meeting at the Salmon & Compasses public house in Chapel Market, North London; it later expanded into a truly national organisation. The GFSN divides the country up into "regions", with each region having a co-ordinator. This co-ordinator is responsible for arranging social events for members in that region, and members regularly meet to attend matches or simply watch a game at a local pub. Football fans of different ages and genders meet regularly to discuss their favourite sport and chat. Each co-ordinator submits a monthly report on activities & social events, and these reports are then included in the network's monthly newsletter, which is posted to members.

Some members prefer to play rather than watch, and around the country new football clubs have emerged as members come together to play. The longest established of these clubs still in existence is Leicester Wildecats F.C., established in August 1996. The most recently-established GFSN-affiliated club is Birmingham Blaze F.C., formed in July 2005.

1 Campaigning
2 GFSN League
3 Lust List
4 External links

[edit] Campaigning

As well as providing a forum for gay football supporters to meet, the GFSN also campaigns against anti-homosexual discrimination in support of the FA's "Football For All" programme. The FA encourages all clubs to endorse a gay-tolerant position, parallelling similar calls in the 1980s for clubs to support racial tolerance. A monthly GFSN newsletter regularly features articles taken from the national press relating to the topic. The network has also featured in articles printed in The Independent, AXM and The Times.

[edit] GFSN League

The GFSN's AGM is held every June, with the venue changing annually. Members of the club submit votes for the host city of their choice. For 2006, GFSN members selected Newcastle upon Tyne as the host city. Previously the AGM has been held in Blackpool (2004) and Glasgow (2005). At each AGM a 5-a-side football tournament takes place, giving members an opportunity to play as well as watch. Members can play as part of their local club, or can form their own team. Yorkshire Terriers F.C have won the last 2 AGM 5-a-side tournaments.

Rivalries formed between a number of these local clubs, and for the 2002/03 season four clubs (Bristol Panthers F.C., Leftfooters F.C., Yorkshire Terriers F.C. and Leicester Wildecats F.C.) established the "GFSN League", an 11-a-side round-robin competition. The inaugural winners of this competition were the now-defunct Bristol Panthers F.C.

The 2003/04 season saw the addition of Brighton Bandits F.C., and the league ran with the same five teams for the 2004/05 season also. After Bristol Panthers disbanded in the summer of 2005, they were replaced by Village Manchester F.C. for the 2005/06 season.

During the 2005/06 season, interest in the league increased and this saw three new clubs established - Birmingham Blaze F.C., G.F.C. Bournemouth and London Titans F.C. All three have been accepted for admission to the GFSN League for the 2006/07 season, which began on Sunday, 10 September 2006.

Other clubs have recently emerged around the country, most recently in Liverpool (Merseyside Marauders F.C.) and Nottingham (Nottingham Ball Bois F.C.), as well as a fledgling club in Glasgow. The league may eventually expand further to encompass these and other teams. Two further London clubs have also been established recently, Romans A.F.C. and London Falcons F.C., although they are not GFSN-affiliated. These clubs also qualify for acceptance in the league.

[edit] Lust List

Every year since 2000, the network has published an annual "Lust List", which is a poll of GFSN members. Members vote on a number of categories, including "Sexiest Team", "Best Manager" and "Hate Figure". The most hotly contested category is for the "Sexiest Player".

Once all the votes have been counted, a Top Ten in each cateogory is announced on the network's website. The Daily Star picked up on this announcement and on July 27, 2005, the GFSN & its Lust List made front page news in the U.K. under the headlines "Rear We Go" and "Match Of The Gay"[1]. The article proclaimed Liverpool F.C. midfielder Steven Gerrard as the winner of the "Sexiest Player" category. However, the true winner of the competition was Brighton & Hove Albion's little-known striker Jake Robinson [2], with Gerrard finishing second. In August 2006 it was announced that Gerrard had topped the Lust List in his own right.[3]. Former winners of the accolade include Michael Owen (2000 and 2002), David Beckham (2001), James Beattie (2003) and Thierry Henry (2004).